The U.S. speed-skating team has some concerns about its Under Armour suits.

“If I was Shani, I’d talk to Under Armour and I’d see if I could use my Nike [suit] and put an Under Armour sticker on it,” says Peter Mueller in that story. He’s a one-time Olympic gold medal winner who went on to coach such U.S. greats as Bonnie Blair and Dan Jansen.

Update: ISI Group upgraded Exxon to buy from neutral, so that’s certainly a positive headline. Also, the stock has popped above its 200-day moving average today, so that could be inspiring some buying among chart watchers.

The retailer of nutritional products returned 77.4% last year vs. a total return of 32.4% for the S&P 500, according to MorningStar data.

But GNC, which came public in 2011, was last down 12% today — one of the session’s big losers after its disappointing quarterly report and outlook.

Still, our Dow Jones colleagues who write the Market Talk column point out analysts are defending GNC. Sterne Agree said the stock could see a quick snapback and JPMorgan suggests this might be a buying opportunity.

To go with today’s theme of St. Valentine’s day, here is a newscast on cocoa prices. To be more precise, they are soaring and Ann Cates reports on that and the rest of the equity markets for MarketWatch Radio Network.

Fisher: Top CEOs don’t want more liquidity

Fisher: Open to changing forward guidance

Fisher: Fed has made rich people ‘super-rich”

Fisher: Inflation is not an issue now

After six days of consecutive gains, the Nasdaq Composite probably feels a bit stretched. The tech-heavy index is down 2 points. Tech stocks are slipping in general today, with Turlia
/quotes/zigman/11860413/delayed/quotes/nls/trlaTRLA leading losses: the online real-estate listing company reported a bigger loss in its fiscal fourth quarter and shares tumbled 18%.

“Recent economic weakness is largely due to weather and presents no reason for the Federal Reserve to retreat from its steady reduction in the pace of monthly asset purchases,” said Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, on Friday.

Equities are usually considered riskier compared to government bonds. Chick Jaffe argues that if you buy and hold stocks, over long run they are best way to minimize risk.

In a world where many investors seemingly have given up on the idea that buy and hold can work, some new research from two college professors and the head of retirement research for Morningstar Investment Management suggests that stocks become less risky the longer you hold them, research which suggests that “set it and forget it” could be pretty good investment advice, and that you should overweight your portfolio toward stocks, even as you age and most people are becoming more conservative.

While there are concerns that Comcast Corp.’s $45.2 billion deal to buy Time Warner Cable Inc. may disrupt Apple’s plans for a new version of its Apple TV set-top box, some Apple watchers say the stock is ripe for picking to add to your basket.

We all remember the crash of 1929, right? So, a chart that compares the Dow from 1928-1929 to the current market performance from mid-2012 has been getting a lot of attention – from both professionals and the lay people.

After U.S. speed skaters came away empty handed without a single medal so far, reports emerged that suits designed by Under Armour may be to blame. The suits, described as having a competitive advantage, may actually have a design flaw that contributed to disappointing results, The Wall Street Journal reported. The U.S. speedskating team is now seeking permission from Olympic officials to switch suits for remainder of the Winter Games.

But one wonders, if the skaters are allowed to switch but still don’t make the podium, who or what are they going to blame next, the ice?

Shares of Under Armour slid 2.2% on Friday and are headed for a weekly decline of almost 3%.

Indexes have been rising steadily, having recovered from a wobbly start this morning. It is difficult to say which set of economic data are driving the markets today. Industrial production in January dropped as cold weather affected manufacturing and mining. But consumer sentiment was unchanged. Earnings results have also been mixed.

Less than half an hour before the markets close the main indexes seem set to close higher, heading for the biggest weekly gains this year.

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The Tell is MarketWatch’s fast and engaging look at trends and themes in the day’s markets. Drawing on our reporters, analysts and commentators around the world, as well as selecting the best of the rest online, The Tell is all about the pulse of the markets through news, insight and strategic information to help you make the best investing decisions. Got a tip? Tell us at TheTell@MarketWatch.com